Skater&#39;s support.



W. S. MILLER.

l SKATERS SUPPORT.

Patented June 1, 190.9.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1,1908.

UNITE WILLIAM S. MILLER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

smirnns 'surronr Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June l, 1909.

Application filed .August 1, 1908. Serial No. 446,487.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, IViLLL-xir S. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skaters Supports, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to skaters supports, and is designed especially for the use of beginners to enable them to learn to skate without the possibility of falling and perhaps receiving a serious injury, and my object is to produce al device of this character which while designed primarily for the use of persons learning to skate on rollers, may be employed by persons learning to skate on ice.

A further object is to produce a device of the character named which is adjustable to accommodate persons of varying height or thin or stout persons.

A still further object is to produce a simple, strong, durable and cheap device, and one which is light in weight so as to be conveniently portable.

With these general objects in view and others as hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l, is a perspective view of a skaters support embodying my invention. F ig. 2, is an enlarged section taken on the line IIHII of Fig. l. F ig. 3, is a detail perspective view of a part of one of the legs equipped with a swiveled runner for use in ice-skating. F ig. fl, is a view looking toward the rear end of the runner to show its swivel connection with the leg.

In the said drawing, l indicates a horizontally-arranged frame of rectangular or other suitable form and provided with a series of supporting legs 2 which, by preference, curve outwardly at their lower ends as at 3, and are equipped with casters a, for use upon floors primarily.

If the device is to be used in connection with ice-skating, the legs will preferably be equipped with runners 5, as indicated in Fig. 3, which runners will preferably be in the form of steel, L-bars 5, with their front ends upturned so as to ride over ordinary obstructions, said runners being swiveled near their front ends so as to adapt themselves automatically to the directionin which the device is moved by the skater.

(5 indicates a second horizontal frame secured to legs 2, below frame I, to act as a brace for the legs and make the frame as a whole stift' and rigid, and hinged as at T to the side bars of the frame G is a pair of hinged frames constructed as follows :*8 indicates bars which extend upward and terminate near the side bars of the frame l, and 9 indicates plates secured to the outer and inner faces of bars 8 and projecting inwardly thereof so as to produce guide grooves l0.

ll indicates a pair of cross bars connecting the upper ends of each of the bars S and its plates 9 with the adjacent bar S and its plates 9, the connections being made preferably by means of bolts l2 and nuts 13.

l-l are adjustable bars or members litting slidingly in grooves 10 and provided with longitudinal series of holes l5, through one or another of which holes pins 16, preferably carried by cross bars ll, are adapted to be fitted so as to hold the slide or extension members 14 of the hinged bars or members, at the desired point of adjustment to accommodate persons of varying heights, and said bars lat terminate preferably in upholstered arm rests 16a to lit under the arms of the skater as a support.

l? indicates a pair of straps secured by preference to the arm rests and provided with buckles I8 and perforations 19 so that the end of each strap can be buckled to the adjacent end of the other, this arrangement adapting the band which said straps constitute, to persons of varying girth, the bands being utilized to prevent the occupant of the device who will sta-nd within frames l and G, from slipping oft the arm rests and falling against either of said frames, and will also prevent such person slipping down within the frame in case the skaters feet become uncontrollable and fail to afford the necessary support, as frequently happens with beginners.

The hinged extensible frames constituted by parts 7 to 16 inclusive, are capable of swinging toward or from each other while being adjusted and in order to brace them against outward movement after the adjustment has been made and hence to prevent the band imposing any undue pressure ILO against the breast and back of the skater, I provide a pair of bars arranged to bridge the frame l parallel with the sides thereof, said bars preferably terminating` in downturned perforated ears 2l adapted to be secured by pins 2Q, at varying distances apart on the front and rear sides of frame l, the said sides being provided with longitudinal series of holes 23 to accommodate the adjustment of said pins or equivalent fastening devices.

With a device of this character beginners can learn to skate quickly and easily because they can strike out with the assurance that they cannot fall, it being understood of course that the casters 4L or runners 5 will adapt themselves automatically to the direction in which the skater starts to move.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a skaters support possessing the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the object of the invention, and I wish it to be understood that I reserve the right to t" make such changes as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Iletters-Patent, is

A support, comprising a horizontallyar ranged frame l provided with a series of supporting legs 2 which extend outwardly and downwardly at their' lower ends at 3,

devices underlying and swiveled to said legs, a second horizontallyarranged frame 6 secured to the legs below the first-named frame, a pair of upright frames hinged at their lower ends to opposite sides of the said second frame and extending upwardly and inwardly from said sides, each of said hinged frames consisting of a pair of members provided with grooves l0 at their inner sides and cross-bars connecting the upper ends of said members at the inner and outer sides of the same, a bar 14 fitting slidingly in the grooves of each of said hinged frames and between the crossbars thereof and extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom to a plane above the firstnamed horizontally arranged frame and provided with a longitudinal series of holes, pins carried vby the cross-bars of said hinged frames for engagement with holes of said slidable bars, arm-rests secured on the upper ends of said slidable bars, straps secured to said arm-rests and adapted to be fastened together, and adjustable bridgebars Q0 extending across the first-named frame at the outer sides of said slidable bars to limit the outward movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM S. MILLER. lVtnesses H. C. Ronsnns, G. Y. THORPE.

floor or ice engaging 

